The Black Friday Factor

This Week’s Reading of Choice was Financially Chic by Fiona Ferris, I felt like it was quite appropriate to this time of year as that’s when I am feeling at my most spendy if that’s even a word. Yes, the holiday make-up collections are out and the black friday sales have almost started as I write those lines. Last year I wrote an article about tips for wiser make-up spending and honestly I felt like maybe I could make another one since that book was really interesting, and useful to implement new ways to be wiser with money.

One of my reccuring nightmare is me struggling with a wardrobe full to the brim that I can’t close, with clothes that I don’t even wear because the clutter makes me forget what I have, and I end up wearing the same things anyway. Choosing quality over quantity is a big thing whether it’s about the beauty side of things, clothes or even miscellaneous things that we don’t use on the regular. If you go for a cheap option chances are you will have to change it more oven.

Now I am talking about quality of item, not its brand. The brand alone should not be the reason we buy an item, be aware that the brand does not necessarily stand for great quality. Indeed, for some brands, the name is the caretaker of the best quality of the item but not for all of them.

A great gift is not necessarily an expensive one, but rather something thoughtful. I’ve touched down on this in a blog post last year during my christmas series, and it is still very true. A DIY, or something usefull to a person, is sometimes more appreciated than a gift bought for the person just because it was on sale.

Spend money on making your house a home. Invest in small luxuries that can improve your quality of life like buying a nice candle, or a nice room spray. Make your house enjoyable, and spend more time there. I personnally love cooking so cooking parties with loved-ones is like “my best evening plan”. It is also very great to save up some money.

One of the most useful paragraph of Financially Chic is about manifesting the things you have, be grateful and take care of your items for them to last longer. Which is so true, and I am glad she wrote that. Isn’t it what Thanksgiving is all about ? then the Black Friday rush to buying the things you don’t necessarily need or want in the first place seems to be out of place. I am not jugding really, I do appreciate a good bargain, actually I hardly buy anything full price – I am about find coupons code or wait for the item to go on sale. Yet the sales can be such a trap. How many times do I catch myself wanting something I don’t need because it is on sale – even this morning, the pouch I presented in my last blogpost was on a 50% sale in a different finish that the one I had, I have almost bought it because it is so useful, before I realised I wouldn’t see myself wearing it with comfort and confidence out as I am not a big fan of the chosen finish. It took me a couple of minute to talk myself out it, and I am so glad I did.

The goal of the sales is, essentially, to make the buying decision quicker based on the fact that if you don’t get the item right now, it may be gone in the next minute. My tips to resist the sales and picking the things you need, is to ask yourself whether you would have paid attention to it if it was full price, and whether you would have bought it full price, and my last tip is whether you know what you like, so much so that you will pick things that are to your taste whether it will work for you on the long run, if you don’t see yourself wearing it / using it often it is probably not worth it, even at 30% off.

To finish, I highly recommand checking out Fiona Ferris‘ book Financially chic, it is well worth it to become clever with your spending habits for a wealthier future.

I wish my American readers a great thanksgiving, and great day to all of you, thank you for reading this blogpost, hope this helps !